The trains feature four
classes of service, Economy, Economy Plus, Business, and Business Plus, as well as
a Cafeteria car. The Plus designation means you pay an extra TL15 and receive breakfast on morning trains and dinner on evening trains.

Train fares are usually lower than the airlines, and comfort is higher on the train. Ticket sales begin 15 days before the train's date of departure.

The fastest Istanbul (Pendik) - Ankara high-speed trains make the journey on the 533-km (331-mile) Istanbul-Ankara
route in about 3-3/4 hours,
challenging the airlines on
such rapid transport between Turkey's
two largest cities. Train fare is about TL70 one-way/single for adults, half price for children from 1 to 12 years of age, free for infants.

What Happens to Haydarpaşa Station?

Historic Haydarpaşa
Station, given to the citizens of Istanbul by Kaiser Wilhelm II in 1908, is no longer
used by passenger trains, but may
become a museum, a hotel, or put to another
use. More...

In Ankara, a new station for the high-speed train
service is being built adjoining Ankara's
historic station (Ankara
Gar).

Turkey's High-Speed Trains

During the past dozen years, Turkish State Railways has invested TL30 billion (about US$16 billion) to build over 1000 km (621 miles) of new railroad. The goal is to invest a total of US$45 billion to create 10,000 km (6,214 miles) of high-speed rail and 4,000 km (2,486 miles) of new conventional rail by the year 2023 (the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Turkish Republic).

Turkey's ambitious high-speed train project
foresees additional fast train lines
between Istanbul, Bursa, İzmir and Antalya, and from
Ankara east to Sivas and Erzurum, connecting 15 major cities in provinces that are home to nearly half of the country's 76 million citizens; but
these lines will take several more years to develop.